This is not difficult to prepare, It is time consuming. If you take your time you will have a real crowd pleaser here. In my opinion the key to the taste is in syrup and the patience that is excercised in the preparation. Give it a try and enjoy.
Make the syrup.
The syrup should be cool to cold when applied to the Baklava. For this reason, I make it first.
Ingredients
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup honey
Cooks note – The type of honey used has a great bearing on the taste of the finished product. I used Adobo orange blossom honey. I would have used raw honey, possibly clover honey. If I could get it. I avoid the store or commercial brands.
1 cup water
1Tbsp lemon juice
Cooks note – I squeezed my lemon juice fresh.
Technique
Put all of these ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil stirring to make sure everything blends. When it comes to a boil, transfer it to a back burner and keep it just boiling for 20 to 40 minutes. The goal here is to reduce the liquid as to end up with a syrup about the consistency of pancake syrup. Or maple syrup. When you feel that you are there, remove from the heat, put in a Pyrex measuring cup and put it in the fridge.
Make the Filling
Ingredients
½ cup finely chopped Walnuts
½ cup white sugar
½ Tsp ground Cinnamon
Technique
If your nuts are not chopped when you bought them chop them finely. I put mine in the food processor mini bowl and let it do the work. Put the nuts in a bowl and add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and set aside for later.
Cooks Note – The next step takes the time and you may want a break between layers.
Make the Baklava
Ingredients
1# package of phyllo dough.
1 Cup melted butter (Maybe more – You will know as you go along)
Technique
Put a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a 9” X 15” X 2” baking pan and spread around to prevent sticking.
Cooks Note – I put a sheet of parchment down. The pan stayed cleaner, however, nothing stuck anyway.
Take a sheet or Phyllo dough and put it in the bottom of the pan.
With a wide pastry brush, spread the dough with the melted butter.
Repeat the above two steps for ½ of the package of phyllo dough.
Cooks Note – My dough came in two separate sealed packets. I left one sealed while I worked with the other. The dough dries out very quickly. If yours is not packed like this place a damp towel over the unused part.
Now that you are at the halfway point, sprinkle the nut mixture over the dough. Gently spread it out evenly and of uniform thickness.
Deep breath we are on the home stretch.
Take a sheet or Phyllo dough and put it in the bottom of the pan.
With a wide pastry brush, spread the dough with the melted butter.
Repeat the above two steps for ½ of the package of phyllo dough.
Now cut dough into diamonds, squares or whatever shape you want to serve it in. We are doing this now as it will not be possible to cut it after it is baked.
Bake in a 400 degree oven until it is golden brown and crisp (30 – 35 minutes)
Remove from the oven cool 10 minutes or so. At the same time get the syrup out of the fridge and let it warm just a bit. Pour the syrup evenly over the Baklava and let it all soak in for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy
Make the syrup.
The syrup should be cool to cold when applied to the Baklava. For this reason, I make it first.
Ingredients
¾ cup white sugar
¾ cup honey
Cooks note – The type of honey used has a great bearing on the taste of the finished product. I used Adobo orange blossom honey. I would have used raw honey, possibly clover honey. If I could get it. I avoid the store or commercial brands.
1 cup water
1Tbsp lemon juice
Cooks note – I squeezed my lemon juice fresh.
Technique
Put all of these ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring it to a boil stirring to make sure everything blends. When it comes to a boil, transfer it to a back burner and keep it just boiling for 20 to 40 minutes. The goal here is to reduce the liquid as to end up with a syrup about the consistency of pancake syrup. Or maple syrup. When you feel that you are there, remove from the heat, put in a Pyrex measuring cup and put it in the fridge.
Make the Filling
Ingredients
½ cup finely chopped Walnuts
½ cup white sugar
½ Tsp ground Cinnamon
Technique
If your nuts are not chopped when you bought them chop them finely. I put mine in the food processor mini bowl and let it do the work. Put the nuts in a bowl and add the cinnamon and sugar. Mix well and set aside for later.
Cooks Note – The next step takes the time and you may want a break between layers.
Make the Baklava
Ingredients
1# package of phyllo dough.
1 Cup melted butter (Maybe more – You will know as you go along)
Technique
Put a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a 9” X 15” X 2” baking pan and spread around to prevent sticking.
Cooks Note – I put a sheet of parchment down. The pan stayed cleaner, however, nothing stuck anyway.
Take a sheet or Phyllo dough and put it in the bottom of the pan.
With a wide pastry brush, spread the dough with the melted butter.
Repeat the above two steps for ½ of the package of phyllo dough.
Cooks Note – My dough came in two separate sealed packets. I left one sealed while I worked with the other. The dough dries out very quickly. If yours is not packed like this place a damp towel over the unused part.
Now that you are at the halfway point, sprinkle the nut mixture over the dough. Gently spread it out evenly and of uniform thickness.
Deep breath we are on the home stretch.
Take a sheet or Phyllo dough and put it in the bottom of the pan.
With a wide pastry brush, spread the dough with the melted butter.
Repeat the above two steps for ½ of the package of phyllo dough.
Now cut dough into diamonds, squares or whatever shape you want to serve it in. We are doing this now as it will not be possible to cut it after it is baked.
Bake in a 400 degree oven until it is golden brown and crisp (30 – 35 minutes)
Remove from the oven cool 10 minutes or so. At the same time get the syrup out of the fridge and let it warm just a bit. Pour the syrup evenly over the Baklava and let it all soak in for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy
It was worth the tradeoff.
